I Had NO Idea

Yesterday was my weekly weigh in with Weight Watchers.  I held my breath as I approached the scale.  It's been a busy month filled parties and food.  I walked when I could and I watched parts of that DVD I bought.  I chose low point foods and served myself smaller portions.  I ate half of my meal at lunch and saved the rest for the next day.  I got on the scale and to my joyous surprise I had lost 1.8 pounds.  Shoot, if I had peed before it would have been two!  But we will say two anyway.  ;)  Then I looked closer at my little booklet and boy was I surprised to see that I have lost 27.2 pounds!  I have lost nearly 30 pounds!!!  So I have set s goal to meet that 30 by Halloween!  Cheer me on over the next month and couple of days!  I just can't believe it.

Next post is Friday and I will recap the meeting about being Supermarket Savvy!  Lots of great tips and important good to know info!!! 

Asking For Help...

Asking for help is probably the hardest thing for us proud humans to do.  We want to do it all by ourselves!  Just like that stubborn two year old who insists on dressing herself as you painfully watch her turn in circles to get that shirt on right.  And you want so desperately to help her, and she simply refuses.  As adults, we still have that stubborn streak within us to do it ourselves.  What we need to realize is sometimes you just can't do it alone.

In our meeting last week, we talked about asking those around for help.  Our leader asked us if we had "food police" in the house.  You know the ones who ask, "Can you eat that?"  If that is what you want then that is ok.  If it is not okay tell them.  "Instead of asking me if I can eat that....how about wow!  You are doing great."  Does your family ask you if you have lost weight?  Do you want them too?  One member said she will text her family after the meeting to tell them if she gained, lost, or maintained.  That is fantastic.

Another way to get support from our loved ones is to tell them straight out, give me a heads up before you invite me to a party.  What will you be serving.  Yes, I can have pizza but I want to know ahead of time that's the main course.  This way I can plan my day out.  Yeah it's a little work, but I want that pizza and I don't want it to be a surprise.  What about those impromptu lunch dates?  Do a quick search online for nutrition information at the restaurant of choice and make you choice ahead of time.  Ask for that take home box up front.  Kim, our leader takes it one step further and tells the server, "I've got a sick kid at home, could you divy up my plate before you bring it out."  And they do.  And sometimes they add a little extra. 

It's all about asking for help.  No more spinning in circles.  Let's reach out to loved ones and tell them just how they can help us.

Halloween is fast approaching.  When are you planning on buying the candy to hand out?  The day before or weeks ahead?  Remember even though it is fast approaching, it is also not coming tomorrow.  Think of how many trick or treaters you had last year.  Decide what kind you will be least tempted by.  And how long you want that stuff lingering in your house.

 

Weekly Report

It's time for my weekly report.  I continue to walk at least 2 to 3 times a week.  I have been dealing with some heavy duty knee pain so that makes it harder, but I still manage to get it in. 

I want to keep track more of what is going in my mouth.  Weight Watchers gives us these handy little booklets each week so that we can do just that.  I need to keep it visible. 

We've had a lot of parties and celebrations and more are coming.  Plus the holidays are fast approaching.  We will be covering that in the next few weeks.  I will touch  a little on it this Friday when I share the meeting.

As for my progress.  Well, I gained 4 tenths of a pound.  I actually thought it would be much worse.  So now I have a whole new week to work with.  I also bought me an exercise DVD.  I will at least watch it!  hahaha.  But to actually DO it is another story. 

How is your week going?

Peach Cobbler

I love a good dessert.  I love a low fat, good dessert even more!!!

• 2 pounds of frozen peaches (unsweetened)
• 1 package regular white dry cake mix
• 12 ounces Diet Mt. Dew (I used diet cream soda) *

~For sweeter peaches, sprinkle with Splenda before cake mix~

Put peaches in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Spray with cooking spray first.  Mix diet soda with cake mix.  Pour over peaches.  Bake for 45 minutes at 350* until top of cake browns.  Check with fork, or cake tester for doneness.

* If you don't want to use diet soda, you can substitute unsweetened applesauce for the oil, but you will also need to add water as the box instructs.  Personally I would go with the soda.  (cream) It leaves no trace of any soda flavor.  The cake is moist and yummy.

As for the cobbler, it is SOOOOOO good!  Serve it with a scoop of Bryer's Fat Free Dreamy vanilla(I think that is what it is called) it's also super good.  Heat up the cobbler and plop that scoop of vanilla ice cream and you have a heaven sent dessert that is low in fat!  Super easy to make too.

2, 4, 6, 8...

Why don't we appreciate???  Why don't we appreciate all that we do in our road to a healthier self? 

See my pretty spoon there?  Did you know that spoon represents 2 tenths of a pound?  So the next time you are having breakfast, think about that as you lift that spoon up!  It's more than you think.

Product placement!  That lovely little bar of soap is four tenths of a pound!  That's right folks!  It might not seem like much on the scale, but check that out in your hand!

It may just be toothpaste to you, but when you are holding it in all of its 6ounce glory...you are holding half of a pound!!!  Don't discount the little loses.

 

Now we're talking!  This empty cup...yes EMPTY is nearly a POUND!  Woohoo!

With all of these little and fabulous successes, why are we so negative!?  Why do we say can't??  It's time to turn our negative talk around!  Think of all those tings we say I can't too....

"I can't lose that last X amount of weight."  How about, "I know that won't be easy, but I can do it!  I am my own cheerleader!"

What if I posted on this blog, I give up!  It's just too dang hard! I am not losing enough.  What would tell me?  Remember your words and tell them to yourself!  You need to be your own cheerleader and best friend and not your enemy!  

So write down those negative thoughts and then counter them with the positive.  Keep the positive list and toss the negative one out!  Poof be gone!

The holidays are fast approaching us.  It's time to start visualizing what you want to do.  How are you going to handle each one?  We will be talking more about them over the next few weeks.  We can get through this with positive talk, visualization, and being our own personal cheerleaders!  Are you with me!?

Seven Months and One Week

For seven months and one week I have been on my weight loss/healthier me journey.  It has taken me seven months and one week to lose 25 pounds.  It took me 7 weeks to lose my first 7.6 pounds.  And it took me 5 months to get to 20 pounds.  My point is slow and steady wins the race.  Think of the tortoise and the hare.  The hare thinks he is going to beat the tortoise because he is fast.  And what happens is the hare runs out of steam and has to stop.  The tortoise keeps plugging along.  And that is what we need to do.  Just keep plugging along.  If we take off at full speed we will quit before the race is over. 

Me in Feb.2010 and Me presently.

Where do I want to go to...?

This is my virtual model.  In 15 pounds it will be me, and I am going to rock the skinny jeans!!  

Come back on Friday to learn how to visualize success and start planning for the holidays before they get here! 

How Does It Feel?

How does it feel to lose a pound?  Well, go into your pantry and grab something, anything that weighs a pound.  Go ahead I will wait.

Pretty amazing huh?  Were you as surprised as me when you lifted it?  How about if you have lost 5 pounds?  Go grab that 5 pound bag of flour.  That would be five of those bad boys for me.  Not happy about a smaller loss...grab a stick of butter and imagine that extra bit of poundage on your arms, face or thighs. 

Does that get you excited to lose more, even when it is a smaller amount?  How about this:  For the next 8 weeks, Weight Watchers is donating a pound of food for every pound lost by its members.  Isn't that cool?  Not a member of Weight Watchers?  Not a problem.  For the next 8 weeks do your own pound for pound and donate it to a homeless shelter, or to the food drive that your kids school sponsors.  I am excited about this, and I want to donate!  So I want to lose...a lot!

There are 800 million underfed people, and at the same time there are 1.6 BILLION overweight people. 

So how about it?  Are you up for the challenge?

The only place achievement comes before work is in the dictionary.

Desserts is Stressed Spelled Backwards

My apologies for not posting Wednesday AND Friday this week.  The CA Girl home has been, to say the least, hectic and unnerving.  I foolishly thought that when my son began school, my life would slide easily into peace and serenity.  Why on earth would I be so ridiculous??  When life turns on a dime, as it often does, how do we handle it?  Are we fierce in the face of adversity?  Or do we seek out comfort?   I look for comfort.  And for me, comfort comes in the form of chocolate.  Let's face it, chocolate is the best comfort.  It is a scientific fact that chocolate contains properties which calm the nerves.  However, as wonderful as chocolate is, it is a saboteur in our efforts.  So what do we do?

1. Talk to someone.  Isn't that what BFF'S/Mom's/Sisters are for???
2. Blog about it!  You know I had to.  Honestly though, I am always impressed with the amount of love and compassion I have seen in the blogging world.
3. Distraction.  Read, watch TV, clean(gasp!)  pull out that project you have hidden away for later.
4. If you must eat, choose the healthy alternative.  No it's not the sweet decadent friend we know and love, but the healthier one will leave us with far less guilt and a smaller waistline.  Think of foods such as:  carrots, low fat popcorn--there are some really good ones that have little or no fat.  Grapes.  Freeze them.  It's good.  Apples.  "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." They also will keep the pounds away! 
5.  Are you familiar with the serenity prayer?  I love this little prayer:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference. 

  

Those are just a few ideas of how to handle stress differently in our lives.  We must retrain our thinking.  It's not an easy thing to do, and it is likely that we will have lapses.  That is what is being human is all about.  We can do this.  What are your methods of handling stress?

Move For Good

Last week at Weight Watchers, we talked about moving for good, and making our workout work for us.  Yes, we talked about the "E" word.  Exercise.  It really doesn't have to be a dirty word.  Instead, let's make the workout; workout.

Did you know that if you walked 10,000 steps in a day that you have walked 5 miles?  Makes you want to get a pedometer and see just how much mileage you are getting doesn't it?

Weight Watchers has a little guide for exercise that even I am willing to try.  And that is saying something since I am the Queen of Excuses!

1.  Love it!  Let your personality and interests guide you.  Social butterfly?  Consider a fitness class or team sport.  Crave Solitude?  (Boy do I!)  Soak up the beautiful scenery of nature solo on foot or bicycle.  Depending on your interests, walk along Main Street(their words not mine) or around your neighborhood, or watch a favorite movie or TV show while logging treadmill miles.

Be creative but realistic.  Make sure you have the time, the financial resources, and the right equipment to make the activity comfortable.

Start small!  If you jump into an intense hard core workout the only thing you get out of it is SORE!  Please be kind to your body.

Step 2:  Keep it up!  Make a schedule  and stick with it.  Put it on your calendar like you would with any other appointment.  Shoot, call it a date with yourself!  You are certainly worthy of a date with you!! 

Make it EASY:  Put your clothes and shoes out, have a bottle of water filled and ready to go, (I like to fill mine half way and then freeze it over night.)  Invest in an MP3 player if music gets you going. 

Focus on how good, even if tired, you feel afterward.  In time, you come to look forward to the great mood you get from activity.  You know...the endorphins!!

3.  Once your routine feels easier, take it up a notch!  Increase the intensity or duration of your workouts. 

Ramp up.  Add an extra exercise a day, incorporate some more moves into your routine, add extra weight, or head out on a more difficult route.

Try something new.  Go for a different activity once or more a week; cross training is good for your body and wards off boredom.

Use "The Buddy System."  Have a buddy to workout with. 

*Please consult your physician before starting any exercise routine.*

What do you say?  Are you interested, or are you committed?

Fire Up The Grill

It is the end of summer, and how are most of us going to be celebrating??  Why with barbecues of course!  There are many ways to indulge without breaking the caloric bank or having to do hours on the treadmill.

Hot dogs?  Hebrew National has a hot dog that is 97% fat free.  It has 40 calories in one hot dog.  They are a little more expensive, but let me tell you they are worth it.  As a self proclaimed hot dog HATER I would eat these, and I have.

Did you know that baked beans are an excellent choice at the barbecue??  They are loaded with fiber.  So take a smaller portion of the mac and potato salad and fill up on the beans.  They are tasty and a super filler.  If you are like my husband and don't like beans, look for the fresh fruit and green salads.  Fill half your plate with the fresh stuff.

Having hamburgers?  Choose the leanest meat.  Use Oroweat Sandwich Thins for your hamburger bun.  These are fantastic for burgers and sandwiches alike!  I have been using mayo made with olive oil.  It is half the fat, actually good for me and it tastes really good!!  Ketchup is a freeby!  Add tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, onions and you have a very satisfying burger!

Desserts?  OMG they are my worst enemy!  Offer to bring something.  Prepare a low fat version of a favorite.  Make the dump cake, or Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler.  Bring your own low fat ice cream.  Choose one dessert or bite size pieces of each one.  Have a snack before the dinner.

Most importantly, have a great time socializing with family and friends.  Eating is the secondary part of the gathering.

How are you going to plan your Labor Day Weekend?

Breaking Barriers

This week I finally broke a barrier.  It's a barrier I have been fighting with for at least 6 weeks now.  I wanted my tens column number to drop.  I was holding steady at the one or two( in the ones column)...depending on my week.  Well when school started I was walking my son to school.  Then he got moved to AM kindergarten.  I decided I would walk him home.  Then we hit triple digits heat by noon and there was no way I was walking in that.  Then our air conditioner broke.  I seriously must have sweated away what I lost, because yesterday I busted through that barrier!  My tens column number finally went down!  I am also comfortably fitting into the next size down.  So what am I doing?

1.  Three meals a day
2.  2 to 3 snacks a day--lately my mid day snack has been an apple
3.  I was having a real hard time with night time nibbling. And I mean lots of nibbling despite having a snack. I have changed that too!  When I feel the urge to nibble I chew gum, or eat carrots. 
4.  Since Rich had his surgery I was doing a lot the first few days.  It has slowed down some, but I am still moving more.
5.  Listening to my body's cues.  Am I really hungry? 

Next week Weight Watcher is doing something really cool!  For every pound that is lost they are donating a pound of food to local shelters.  Isn't that awesome!  I want to try and lose a pound each week.  With my birthday being tomorrow, that will be an interesting challenge!  But I still want to try and add to this wonderful cause!  It's a great motivator. 

What motivates you?